A peek inside lobbyists’ donations to the George W. Bush Presidential Library

Last week, George W. Bush unveiled his shiny, new presidential library. It is the largest and most expensive presidential library in the country, boasting 226,560 square feet and holding over 70 million pages of records.

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is reported to have raised approximately $500 million to foot the bill. The Hill reviewed lobbying disclosure records, and found that at least $7.5 million came from lobbyists, corporations, and trade organizations.

Graphic by Joanna Raines/Houston Chronicle

Alticor, the dominant donor of the group, is the parent company of Amway. An Amway spokesperson said the company supports the library’s mission of expanding freedom by expanding opportunities for people everywhere.

AT&T, Ford, and the Edison Electric Institute said donating to presidential libraries is common for their companies. AT&T has also contributed to Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush libraries.

Two trade groups gave a combined total of $100,000 to the library. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America gave $75,000 and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave $25,000.

Both groups contributions went toward policy institute initiatives. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said their donation benefited the Summit to Save Lives, a global health conference organized by the institute. Blair Latoff Holmes, a Chamber spokeswoman, said the contribution helped sponsor an event on the economy.

Friendships with prominent lobbyists helped Bush fund his massive legacy center. Meet a few of the big names…

Tom Korologos (State Department Photo)

Tom Korogolos, strategic adviser at global law firm DLA Piper, served as Bush’s ambassador to Belgium during his presidency. He was also the Senior Counselor to the Administrator of the Office of Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad and in the Defense Department in 2003, and was influential in the passage of the President’s Iraq reconstruction supplemental budget request. Korogolos’ donation will round out to $25,000.

“I liked him. He is a personal friend,” said Korologos.

Bob Grand, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg, was the Bush-Cheney Finance chairman for Indiana and served on the 2000 Bush recount team in Palm Beach, Florida. Grand donated $10,000, saying Bush “inspired” him when they met in 1999.

Jim Nicholson with George W. Bush. (White House Photo)

Christopher Padilla, Vice President of IBM, previously led the International Trade Administration. He served as chief of staff and senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick during Bush’s second term.

Jim Nicholson, a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs under Bush. He also served as the chairman of the Republican National Committee through the 2000 elections.

Of course, this is just a small glimpse: 1.5 percent, of the total funding. Legally, donations don’t have to be disclosed unless they are gifts over $200 from lobbyists. Republican Rep. John Duncan from Tennessee is working to change that policy, introducing legislation that would require presidential libraries to submit reports detailing all contributions over $200.